What is the most controversial event in AFL history?

[finders]

For all the people that think the AFL is the VFL get a life!

First Victorian Rules/Australian Football game near MCG 1858

VFA 1877 - 1996

VFL 1897 - 1990 then 1997 - 2006

AFL 1990 - 2006

 

[skipper kelly]

South Melbourne being relocated to Sydney.

 

[Count Zero]

HE didnt coach in the AFL Mate! It was the VFL then! Get your Facts right.

Calm down. A large portion of the posts in this thread have discussed VFL controversys. The sacking of Norm Smith was a huge story at the time.

 

[Bergerac]

I guess I should have said VFL. AFL,SANFL etc.

 

[Fabulous]

South Melbourne being relocated to Sydney.

Agree but the formation of the AFL in the first place by all the clubs voting to give their rights away to the commission is the reason that Aussie Rules football is now "national" and there has been huge change both on and off the field.

 

[TuskenRaider]

Bob Pratt having a milk truck aimed at him the day before the GF

Ahh, one of my favourite lines from 100 Years of Football.

Along these lines:
"Out, Bob Pratt, hit be a truck!"

 

[Count Zero]

I guess I should have said VFL. AFL,SANFL etc.

Thanks for clearing that up Bergerac.
From the SANFL comes:
1934 GF when Port Adelaide was cheated out of the premiership.
1902 Port Adelaide forfeited a game rather than be cheated by umpire Kneebone.
Port Adelaide attempted to join the AFL and caused the creation of the Crows.

 

[ant22]

harmes for mine. happened almost 30 years ago and still talked about like it was yesterday.

Good topic!!

 

[timthefish]

For all the people that think the AFL is the VFL get a life!

First Victorian Rules/Australian Football game near MCG 1858

VFA 1877 - 1996

VFL 1897 - 1990 then 1997 - 2006

AFL 1990 - 2006

lies. it is only a name change. the clubs were the same in 1989 and 1990.

don't hide behind a name change - the afl is a direct continuation of the vfl. the name change was necessitated by the fact that the competition had been outside victoria for a number of years.

a separate argument is that the vfl was once a small time suburban comp like a number of others and that the number of premierships that some club won 80 years ago when there was only a handful of impoverished other teams to beat has no bearing on the present situation.

but that is a completely different argument.

the present afl is just a rebadged vfl that's grown a bit more.

 

[ant22]

For all the people that think the AFL is the VFL get a life!

First Victorian Rules/Australian Football game near MCG 1858

VFA 1877 - 1996

VFL 1897 - 1990 then 1997 - 2006

AFL 1990 - 2006

Sorry Flinders cannot agree. The Vfl expanded to a national competion and then changed its name. Still the same league but evolved and therefore they had to change the name. The AFL themselves still recognise the vfl pre 1991 as the same competion

Its like saying testra were never telecom . Collingwood used to be carringbush but it is still the same side.

The Vfa then changed there name to the VFL because the AFL wanted them to.

 

[SAYNTS.A1]

James Hird getting a massive fine for talking about the umpires and on a lighter note Tony Lockett when playing against Swans at SCG - a pig was put on the oval with "Lockett" and "No. 4" painted on its back. Everyone was chasing it around the ground. Very funny.

 

[dart]

not so much controversial but more a "talking point"

malcolm blight getting sacked/walking out on st kilda mid season.


. . i was in melbourne at the time & there was complete & total blanket coverage everywhere you looked.

crazy stuff.

 

[dart]

James Hird getting a massive fine for talking about the umpires and on a lighter note Tony Lockett when playing against Swans at SCG - a pig was put on the oval with "Lockett" and "No. 4" painted on its back. Everyone was chasing it around the ground. Very funny.

how the hell do you get a pig through bag check?

that's some nifty business right there.

 

[jourgo]

...on a lighter note Tony Lockett when playing against Swans at SCG - a pig was put on the oval with "Lockett" and "No. 4" painted on its back. Everyone was chasing it around the ground. Very funny.

That wasn't controversial so much as just bloody funny!

 

[sherb]

In Tassie, the State Final in 1967 where the fans ripped out the goal posts so that the TFL (I think) player couldn't take his shot after the final siren to win the game.

 

[Lidge]

A couple of others that haven't been mentioned:

Introduction of Sunday Football (Coll vs Ess @ MCG circa 1983)
North's exploiting of the 10 year rule
University FC folding, I imagine was big news when it happened
Carlton and their salary cap shennanigans
Banning of BYO grog at footy venues
Smoking bans at the footy
Consolidation of Melbourne venues & closure of suburban based grounds
VFL Park
Going national
The collars on Ron Barassi's shirts during the 70's
Private ownership
Broadcast rights
Commercialisation of the game
Rules committee & constant annual changes
Tribunal verdicts
Leigh Matthews king hit on Neville Bruns
Trial by Video

 

[dart]

In Tassie, the State Final in 1967 where the fans ripped out the goal posts so that the TFL (I think) player couldn't take his shot after the final siren to win the game.

"only in tasmania. . . "

 

[Bergerac]

Collingoood 1960 where somebody stole the team jumpers on game day.

No one ever owned up

 

[Bergerac]

good call with lethal leigh on Bruns!!

Definitely in the top 10 Biffo awards!!

 

[SAYNTS.A1]

Wasn't Phil Carmen outed for headbutting an umpire in the 80's??

 

[Mutant]

My memories of 92 were a lot of carry on from the Vics the first time the cup was taken out of Victoria, I can still remeber Joan Kirner being interviewed on TV bleating like a stuck pig about what a tragic thing it was.
Worse than the yanks when it was time to wave goodbye to the auld mug.

 

[spell_check]

Thanks for clearing that up Bergerac.
From the SANFL comes:
1934 GF when Port Adelaide was cheated out of the premiership.
1902 Port Adelaide forfeited a game rather than be cheated by umpire Kneebone.
Port Adelaide attempted to join the AFL and caused the creation of the Crows.

This is news to me. How were they cheated out of that flag?

 

[spell_check]

West Torrens 19th man incident in 1975 vs. West Adelaide.
Rod Jamesons' goal after the siren vs. Fitzroy in 1991.
Granger vs. Glenelg 1982 PF.
Robert Muir.
Mark Jackson.
Scott Salisburys' hit on Richard Champion - 1990 Night Grand Final.
David Rhys-Jones.
Stephen Rileys' hit on Roger Luders in 1985.
David Granger.

 

[jourgo]

Nah, you're all way off the mark. Clearly it is Beau Waters only getting two weeks for his hit on Robert Copeland a few weeks back.

 

[CharlieG]

Was there any controversy when the Swans relocated to Sydney? I imagine that could've been quite controversial at the time, although I wasn't around and don't know the situation.

I would think it's comfortably the biggest controversy in VFL/AFL history.